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Tom Hirsh has spent his life on the ocean, competing in sailing races and running Harbor Sailboats out of Shelter Island. But at 68 years old, Hirsh’s days on the open water are over after a February 2022 cataract surgery forced him to abandon ship and left him delegated to a dark window-tinted room, unable to cope with even a minor amount of light.

Hirsh says that during the surgery an infection known as toxic anterior segment syndrome (TASS) likely from dirty instruments or polluted eyewash entered both eyes, permanently preventing him from dilating his pupils to adjust to the light, essentially rendering him blind. More here.